Officer Scott Edward Elliott, who was most recently assigned to East Precinct's afternoon relief patrol, has been with Portland Police Bureau for 22 years.

Multnomah County Sheriff's Office deputies made the arrest at 4 p.m. today. His online communications with a minor female were intercepted by authorities.

Elliott was on police duty. Under a phony call, he was requested to respond to 82nd Avenue and Southeast Holgate Boulevard to transport someone to jail, but instead he was arrested.

Elliott, 50, was placed on paid administrative leave, but had his police powers removed.

Elliott remains in custody at the Multnomah County Detention Center, facing $500,000 bail.

"As this is an ongoing criminal investigation by an outside agency, the Portland Police Bureau will have no further comment on this case at this time,'' Sgt. Pete Simpson wrote in a prepared statement.

Elliott was one of a number of officers assigned at East Precinct to help register sex offenders, part of the bureau's Sex Offender Registration Detail.

He also had worked as a firearms instructor for police cadets in the past, and had trained officers in the use of less-lethal weapons.